2020 Census Shows Alaska Population Growth Slower than National Average

Alaska’s population grew by 3.3% over the past decade, according to numbers released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau, APM reports. Despite the increase in population, the state’s growth rate was less than half of the national rate of 7.4% since 2010.

The 2020 Census began in Alaska in January, but counting was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. At a Monday news conference, U.S. Census officials said they were confident of the quality of the data, which almost all fell within 1% of pre-Census predictions. 

State estimates show Alaska’s population has dropped slightly since 2016. Alaska now has 733,391 residents according to the 2020 Census, compared to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s estimate of 728,903.